Animation Chico (California) - Toys
In 1930s farm country, a father wants a son, but he gets a little girl. He tries to toughen her up by giving her toys intended for boys. His efforts backfire when she proves a little too capable for comfort. Made using hand-crafted stop-motion collage animation, Toys tells the autobiographical father-daughter story of actress Peggy Pope.
Interview with Director/Producer Amanda Quaid
Watch Toys on the director’s website
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Toys came to me in the form of a poem written by the actress Peggy Pope, about her relationship with her dad growing up. When I initially read it, I was moved by the story, and I knew I wanted to make it into a film. It stayed in my head for two years before I was able to do it. The idea kept presenting itself as animation, and finally I taught myself stop-motion in order to make it.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It’s a film adults and children can enjoy together, and both get something from it. Children respond to its humor, and the fact that the protagonist is a strong, athletic girl. Adults often connect with the darker shades of the relationship, the sense of not being fully seen by the person you love the most. It’s also fun to look at--an unusual kind of animation, entirely hand-made. And it’s short, only two minutes. So it’s a low-risk commitment. :-)
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
This is a personal story for Peggy about her father wanting a son instead of her. By giving her toys made for boys, he tried to make her into the son he dreamed of. But she emerged stronger than he imagined and become in a way a threat to him. That’s Peggy’s story, but the experience of not being seen by a parent is universal. As a filmmaker, I’m drawn to stories about parents and children, particularly the moment when the parent sees the child as an individual for the first time. Everybody recognizes that, and it’s one of the themes people respond to most in Toys.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
The main challenge was that I had to learn to do stop-motion animation. I’m an actor originally, and I had no framework for this technique. As I learned to do it, mainly through YouTube tutorials, the visual sense of how I could tell the story evolved. Every trial and error revealed a new possibility.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
It’s been overwhelming to have the film embraced by festival audiences. This is something I did in my downtime on my living room table, and to see it on a big screen and hear audiences react has been surreal and exhilarating. The main feedback has been that it reminds people of their own experience with a parent or a child. Often people want to tell me their own stories after they see the film.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Sometimes, people approach me with darker interpretations. One person said it reminded them of an incestuous relationship. That’s certainly never something that occurred to me, but I was glad the film held up to that reading. Sometimes people side very strongly with one character, either the father or the daughter, and that’s interesting too.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I’m always happy to share the film with new audiences.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Toys has had a nice run of diverse festivals—adult festivals, kids fests, art films, animation—with some more coming up in 2017, and certainly festival programmers who are interested should get in touch with me. I love traveling with the film and seeing it with different audiences. And certainly I’d be happy to speak to journalists about it. It’s a film that features a strong girl protagonist coming into her own, and I think that’s a film worth covering. Peggy Pope would also be a good person to speak to.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
It’s a film about love, and ideally it asks parents to love their children with more of an open mind. I wonder if a parent might see it and think, maybe I should appreciate my child more for what he or she is instead of trying to change them. That would be incredible if it made an impact on a personal level. But mainly, I just want people to enjoy it and get from it what they will.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Everyone who sees it could ask themselves, is this how I love someone? Do I try to make them over in my own image? Or do I let them be who they are? How can I love better?
Would you like to add anything else?
Check out www.paperdollpictures.com for more info on the film, including some photos and video on the animation process. There’s also an updated list of screenings and news.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Amanda Quaid (animator/director) is currently working on a documentary about immigrants in New York City. Peggy Pope (writer) is writing more poetry.
Interview: November 2016
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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Toys
In 1930s farm country, a father wants a son, but he gets a little girl. He tries to toughen her up by giving her toys intended for boys. His efforts backfire when she proves a little too capable for comfort. Made using hand-crafted stop-motion collage animation, Toys tells the autobiographical father-daughter story of actress Peggy Pope.
In 1930s farm country, Peggy's father wanted a son, but he got her. He tries to toughen up his little girl by giving her toys intended for boys: knives, bats, lariats, guns. One day, he brings home an archery set. To his astonishment, she proves a savant and goes on a shooting spree around the yard, coming into her own and making him fear for his life. By accident, she shoots too close to him, narrowly missing his head with her speeding arrow. Time stops. He looks at her--afraid, amazed, and more than a little proud. It is the first moment in her life, she says, where she feels he actually sees her. The film is narrated by Peggy Pope, now 86 years old, looking back on this momentous encounter with her dad. Toys is made entirely by hand using paper dolls, cutout photographs, and vintage paper.
Length: 2 minutes
Director: Amanda Quaid
Producer: Amanda Quaid
Writer: Peggy Pope
About the writer, director and producer:
AMANDA QUAID is an award-winning stage actress. She directed her first short film, English, in 2014. Toys is her first animated film. www.amandaquaid.com
PEGGY POPE's career spans 50 years in film, television, and theater. She is most recognizable for her work in 9 to 5 starring Dolly Parton. Born in 1929 in Montclair, New Jersey, Pope recently turned her talents to poetry.
Key cast: Mischa Tedesco, John Leonard Thompson
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): film festival directors, journalists
Funders: Indiegogo campaign
Made in association with: N/A
Release date: June 2016
Where will it screen in the next month?
Animation Chico (California) on December 10th, and many more in 2017 that haven’t been announced yet. Check www.paperdollpictures.com for updates.